


Matchmaker

by Lisa Martin (LisaM)



Category: Quantum Leap
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:09:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LisaM/pseuds/Lisa%20Martin
Summary: Sam returns home, but things are not as he hoped.
Relationships: Sam Beckett/Al Calavicci
Kudos: 6





	Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> First published in the 'Dark and Stormy Night' issue of Quantum Instability. This is a slightly altered version, but not by much.

The storm broke shortly after he arrived, and now the torrents of rain pounded against the roof and windows of the cabin. Between that and the darkness outside, it was impossible to see beyond the cabin porch. There was a chill in the air, and he was grateful for the warmth of the fire behind him. 

He’d come to get away, to think, to try and understand the events of the last few days. Try to decide what he should do. 

He tensed as he heard the door behind him open. 

"I knew I would find you here…" 

The sound of the light, female voice wasn’t at all what he’d expected. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sammy Jo standing in the doorway, water dripping from her heavy coat. 

"Shut the door," he said brusquely. "Please." 

Sammy Jo carefully closed the door, took off her coat and tossed it on the nearby chair. She glanced at it; water was splashing on the wooden floor. Shrugging, she turned towards the man sitting in front of the fire. He was huddled in the chair, his head bent. 

She sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. Hesitantly, she closed the distance to the chair, and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Al stiffened at the unexpected contact. He didn’t want company, not now. Sammy Jo was a sweet girl, and she meant well, but she couldn’t help him now. No one could, except…He shoved the thought away. It was too painful. 

Sammy Jo felt the tensed muscles underneath the shirt. Putting her other hand on his shoulders she began a gentle massage. 

Al relaxed a little, leaning into it. 

"I’m not good company right now, sweetie," he said quietly. 

"Doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna leave you here alone." Her voice was determined. 

"Stubborn brat," Al growled. Sometimes she reminded him so much of her father. Her father…He winced at the sudden pain that shot through him. 

Sammy Jo noticed the change and pulled her hands away. 

"I’ll unpack my bag and then fix you something to eat." She crossed the room, picked up her bag and added, "Whether you like it or not." 

Al shook his head, a slight grin appearing on his face. 

Sammy Jo dumped her bag on the bed, then made a face. She lifted it slowly, and stared in disgust at the wet spot on the bedspread. 

"Great Sammy Jo Fuller, really great!" Hearing herself saying that name brought a smile to her face. Fuller was her mother’s name, and she spent the larger part of her life going by that name. Her father’s name she never knew. Her mother refused to talk about her father. Sammy Jo had always respected that, but was curious all the same. Curiosity was in her nature. She always wanted to know everything. She always suspected it was something she’d inherited from her father, as was her intelligence. Her high IQ made her a loner at school, other children teasing her, bullying her. She shivered at the memory. At college she had concentrated fully on her studies, managing to get three degrees in record time. When they offered her the job at Project Quantum Leap, she grabbed it with both hands. It turned out to be different, to say the least. She had expected to do research, thrilled with the thought of working with one of the most brilliant minds of the world, Dr. Sam Beckett. She soon found out, however, that he wasn’t there but trapped in time, leaving the helm to a charismatic Admiral. 

She grinned as she recalled her first encounter with Al. He had just come out of the Imaging Chamber and was about to leave Main Control, when his eye had caught her. He had stopped in his tracks, throwing an appreciative look at her. She had been warned about him, but the intensity of the gaze still made her shiver. Surprisingly, he had never tried to make a pass at her. He had treated her kindly, almost like a daughter. 

A year ago, when she was looking through the files of Sam’s leaps, she had made the most shocking discovery of her life. Finding a file with her mother’s name had stunned her, but it was nothing compared to the shock that went through her system when the file also revealed the name of her father. Sam Beckett was her father. It had taken her quite some time to adjust to that; she even took a few days vacation, the first in almost three years. 

After that she had been more dedicated to her work than ever, trying to get her father home. She never told Al she knew, but it made her understand why he treated her the way he did. 

Pulling herself out her musings, she entered the living room once again, finding Al asleep in his chair. She smiling, deciding to let him sleep. He needed it. She got a blanket out of the bedroom and covered him with it. He stirred a little, but didn’t wake up. Sammy Jo sat down on the floor beside him, resting her head against his leg. 

She sighed. It hurt her to see him like this. During this past year, they had become close, and she wasn’t afraid to admit that she loved Al. A wry smile came to her face. Her love for Al was always the subject of the arguments she had with Donna. Dr. Donna Alisi – Beckett, her father’s wife, her step mother. She still hadn’t figured out why Sam had chosen a woman like that for his wife. She was beautiful and intelligent, but her behaviour was that of a spoiled little kid. What offended Sammy Jo the most was that Donna hated Al’s guts. It was true; his devotion to Sam came close to obsession. Donna was jealous because she didn’t have access to her husband and Al did, but that was no reason to treat him like garbage. 

Four months ago, Sam had leaped out of ‘Al’s Place" and they hadn’t been able to find him. Everyone thought he was lost, except Al. He worked around the clock, almost driving himself over the edge. Sammy Jo had taken care of him, their bond becoming even tighter. 

Last Saturday, Sam had walked out of the Waiting Room, almost like nothing had happened. She had been the first to see him, immediately alerting Al, not sure if was really Sam. Al’s face when he saw Sam was all the proof she needed. He was the only one who could see through the aura. 

At that moment she fully realised what her father meant to Al. The tears in his eyes and the overwhelming love on his face had moved her immensely. Anger had replaced that feeling, when Al was suddenly pushed aside and Donna threw herself in Sam’s arms. Sam had hugged her, but his eyes had followed the smaller man who walked away, looking like someone had hit him. They hadn’t seen Al since. 

It had taken her three days to find him. Ziggy had finally come up with the answer, the cabin Al bought from Sam’s former professor. 

She felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw Al smile at her. 

"Seems I dozed off," he said, still a little sleepy. 

"You needed that," she stated, matching his smile. 

He gentled tousled her hair, looking at her face. Brown eyes with a hint of green in them, dark hair with a silver streak. 

"It’s good to have you here," he sighed. "Sometimes you remind me so much.." He stopped abruptly. 

"Of my father?" Sammy Jo finished. Al’s mouth fell open in astonishment. "I know, Al. I’ve known for almost a year now." Sammy Jo reached up her hand and caught his. 

"But you never said anything!" Al gasped, finally finding his voice. 

"I needed time to come to terms with it myself, and afterwards…" She shrugged. 

Al grinned. "Now you sound like him." He heaved a heartfelt sigh. "I’m really glad you found out." 

"Me too." Sammy Jo fell silent for a couple of minutes, not really sure how to continue. "He’s so lost, Al. A scared kid," she finally said. 

Al raised his eyebrows, not knowing what to make of those words. 

"Everybody is constantly hovering over him, "she continued. "He’s polite, friendly. He answers all the questions, but his heart isn’t in it." 

"I thought he’d be bursting with happiness. After all, he’s home, back with his loving wife and his friends." Al spat out the word ‘loving’ with biting sarcasm. 

"He misses the most important one, the only one who really matters." She rose to her knees, so she could look him in the eye. "You." 

Al shook his head slowly. "He doesn’t. You saw him. He only had eyes for HER!" His voice grew louder with every word. 

"Then why is he so depressed? Why does he sleep in his quarters at the Project, and not at home?" She raised her voice also, trying to get through to him. It threw him off balance, and he stared at her with confusion in his eyes. "Yes, Al. He refuses to go there. He syas it isn’t home." 

Al buried his face in his hands. "I don’t know what to do anymore," he whispered. 

Sammy Jo took his hands in hers, removing them from his face. His eyes were haunted, the pain clear to see. She took a deep breath and took the plunge. 

"He loves you." 

Al’s eyes widened for a moment, then the pain in them grew more intense. Sammy Jo knew she was on the right track. 

"Not funny," he growled. 

"he does, more than he loves Donna. Much more. He needs you – without you he’s lost." She got no answer. "Dammit Al! Listen to me! You’re both miserable, feeling sorry for yourselves. And I love you both too much to sit by and watch you ruin your lives," she added softly. 

"What are you trying to say?" His voice was rough with unshed tears. 

"Oh Al. Admit it – you love him too." 

Neither of them heard the door opening, or noticed the man who stood in the doorway, motionless, his face a turmoil of emotions. 

Al was still staring at Sammy Jo. He closed his eyes and his answer came, so soft she could barely hear it. "I love him." 

"And I love you." The voice came suddenly, unexpectedly. 

"Sam!" Al’s eyes snapped open, his head turning towards the door. 

"Dad!" Sammy Jo exclaimed, jumping up. Before Sam hand the chance to say anything, she put a hand on his mouth. "Don’t say a word." She lowered her hand, caressing his cheek. Grinning at his confused face, she went on, "Later. You’ve got more important things to take care of now." She turned to Al, giving him a quick hug. "Take care of him." Smiling, she went to the bedroom to get her bag. 

The two men stared after her, totally stunned. Finally, Sam spoke up. "What a girl." 

"Yeah, you’ve got one hell of a daughter." 

"How did she…" Sam was still very much confused. 

"Don’t know," Al shrugged, then something occurred to him. "Of course. She has access to Ziggy’s files." 

"Oh," was all Sam could manage. 

Al stared up at him, seeing the weariness on his face. By the looks of it, he hadn’t slept in days. His eyes were red, dark circles underneath them. He looked vulnerable, like a lost little boy. Al rose slowly from his chair. "Did you mean that?" he asked softly. "What you just said, that you…you.." His voice faltered. 

Sam smiled, turning his gaze towards him. A soft light came in his eyes as he looked at the man standing before him. For years he had been his only constant, his lifeline. He had already loved before he started leaping, yet it wasn’t before he leaped into Herbert Williams, am member of his brother’s unit in Vietnam, that he realised how deep his love ran. Al had sacrificed three years of his life to rescue his brother. 

He had kept his feelings to himself, scared of losing Al. Coming home and finding Donna hadn’t been a real surprise. He had remembered her, another thing he hadn’t told Al. 

That afternoon he had confessed to Donna why he didn’t want to come home. She had been disgusted, repulsed. Called him a faggot. He had taken that blow, but when she yelled at him that Al would never go for it, that in fact she hoped he wouldn’t, he had raised his hand in anger at her. He had stopped himself before delivering the actual blow, but the fact that he had wanted to hit her would haunt his dreams for a long time. 

Al was waiting for his answer, so he placed his hands on the other man’s shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. "Yeah, I meant that," he said, his voice steady. "I love you, Al." 

Al smiled, a smile that made Sam’s insides tremble. He had seen that smile only once before, but then it had been directed to Beth. Al had told Sam that she had been his only shot at true love. Suddenly, a feeling of panic came over him. His grip on Al’s shoulders became tighter. 

"Don’t worry, Sam, it’s okay." A soft whisper, the two arms came around him, pilling him close. With a sigh Sam relaxed, melting into the embrace. Their lips met in a soft and loving kiss. Sam moaned softly, trying to pull Al even closer. The feeling of Al’s mouth moving beneath his made his head spin. He opened his mouth and welcomed the tongue that slipped in, exploring hungrily. When they parted for air, he felt light headed. 

"I love you, Sam," Al whispered. 

Sam let his hands rove over Al’s face, caressing his eyebrows, cheeks and lips. He was too choked up to say anything. 

With a contented sigh, Al laid his head against Sam’s chest, feeling so safe in his arms. He looked up into Sam’s eyes, which were telling him just how welcome he was there. All the tension slipped from his body, the pain faded. At that moment he realised that at last he had found the love he had been searching for. It made him happier than he’d ever felt before. 

Sammy Jo stood in the doorway, a happy smile on her face. She grinned. It was odd to play matchmaker for her own father. And what was the strangest of it all, she had set him up with another man. Seeing them together now, she was sure she had done the right thing. 

From the corner of his eyes, Sam saw his daughter. He smiled and turned his head her direction. He let go of Al, who protested faintly, and walked towards her. Throwing his arms around the young woman, he hugged her close. 

"Thank you," he murmured. She whispered something in his ear and Al saw Sam’s face light up. 

"I’ll be leaving now," she said, freeing herself from Sam’s embrace. Without another word, she walked out of the door, closing it behind her. 

Sam stared after her for a few moments. The he felt a hand trail along his spine, a soft caress and a promise of things to come. He shivered in anticipation. 

"You like that." A soft and silky voice. 

"God yeah," Sam breathed. He turned and gathered Al in his arms again. 

"You’re wet," Al muttered, pulling back. 

Sam glanced at him then at his clothes. Al was right – he was wet. A mischievous grin came to his face. He shook his head, water flying everywhere. 

"Hey!" Al exclaimed. 

"Now you’re wet too," Sam grinned. "Guess we’ll have to do something about that." Before Al knew what hit him, Sam had pulled his sweater over his head. He gasped as he felt Sam’s bare chest against his won. Their mouths met again in a long and sensual kiss. It was Al who broke it, his face flushed. The eyes that stared at Sam were filled with desire. 

Sam carefully lowered the smaller man to the rug in front of the fireplace. Their bodies moulded together, hands gently caressing, lips seeking the sweetness of the other’s. 

"I love you," Sam whispered against Al’s mouth. He drew back a little and his breath caught in his throat. The glow of the fire made Al’s eyes light up with a dark and mysterious light. His whole face was glowing with love, Sam thought his heart would burst, knowing all that love was his. "You’re beautiful," he breathed. 

"Check your eyesight, kid," Al chuckled. He tugged at Sam’s jeans, wanting to feel all of him. 

They undressed each other slowly, both wanting this wonderful experience to last. 

"Oh Sammy, my Sam," Al whispered next to Sam’s ear. 

Sam took Al’s face in his hands and kissed him tenderly. "I’m yours, always," he said softly. 

"Show me," Al breathed, totally surrendering to his desires now. No more doubts, no more hesitation. Only the knowledge that this was right. 

Their bodies rocked together, taking them higher and higher. Suddenly Sam threw his head back and his body stiffened for an endless moment. Crying out Al’s name, he came all over the other man’s body. That was enough to sent Al over the edge. He grabbed Sam’s arms as the most powerful an intense climax of his life hit him. 

Al opened his eyes, blinking against the light of the fire. Sam was lying beside him, his arms around him. 

"Hi there." Sam smiled softly. "You were out there for a while." 

"Does that surprise you?" Al grinned. "Nobody ever did this to me." There was something in Sam’s eyes that puzzled him, something he couldn’t put a name to. "Sam, you okay?" he asked, a sudden feeling of fear sweeping over him. What if Sam should decide this wasn’t right after all? 

Sam nodded. "Are you?" he asked shyly. 

"Never felt better," Al answered, relieved. Sam let out the breath he was holding. "Scared kid?" 

"yeah, I was. I didn’t know..I mean, for me it was…" The words came tumbling out of Sam’s mouth. 

"You weren’t sure I felt the same way," Al said quietly. Before Sam could say anything to that, he continued, "Even before you started leaping, you meant more to me than anybody ever had. In these past years, that feeling became even stronger. And now this…" He let his hand trail up and down Sam’s arm. "This makes my life complete at last." He curled his hand behind Sam’s head, pulling him down a little. "I love you, Sam." 

Sam gathered him in a bone crushing hug. "I love you too," he murmured. "Oh Al, now I’m really home." 

They lay in each other’s arms for a long time. For years, words were all they had. Words weren’t needed anymore. 

Sam was already drifting off when he heard Al’s voice. "Sam, what did Sammy Jo say to you before she left?" 

Sam smiled, a smile that went straight to Al’s heart. "She told me to make you happy because you’re as much her father as I am." 

It was all too much for Al. Burying his head in Sam’s shoulder, he cried. Sam cradled him like a kid, whispering soothing words. 

Sammy Jo’s words had touched Sam too. Her acceptance of his love for another man was more than he’d ever hoped for. He sent a silent ‘thank you’ upstairs for the gift he had been granted. Coming home to a wonderful daughter and, most of all, to the man he was holding in his arms. A man who meant more to him than his own life. The crying had stopped and dark eyes met his. Sam brushed away the tears on Al’s face that made Al’s heart turn over. 

"Oh love," Al sighed. "I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you." 

"Same goes here," Sam replied. A grin appeared on his face. "You know, I think we have to thanks that daughter of mine for playing matchmaker." 

Al grinned. "We sure do, but first I have to take care of something else." He captured Sam’s mouth again in a passionate kiss. They moved greedily against each other. 

The fire in the fireplace slowly faded during their lovemaking., but they knew something wouldn’t never fade. 

Their love. 

  
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